Jonathan ball



JONATHAN BALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

" MEANS F RENOVATING AND CORBLEC'JTING` SIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,049, dated April 22, 1851.

To all whomii may concern: l

Be it known that I, JONATHAN BALL, `of the city and county of` New York, in the State of New York, have invented a 'new` and improved mode of renovating the sight where 'it is lostby age or where the conveXity of the `pupil or cornea is attened, but `not diseased or distorted, and also of correcting the sight where the conveXity is too great, producing near-sightedness; and I do hereby declare the following to be a i full and exact description.

rIhe nature oflmy invention `consists in formingfor each eye, a cup large enough in diameter to set upon the base `of the ball ,ofthe eye, theedge of which is smoothly rounded which by being worn at intervals of two or three days, for an hour or two at each time will gradually and surelybring the pupil or` cornea to its original convexity and the sight to its youthful clearness and strength. This cup may be circular or ellipy tical. In case ofnearsightedness the action is reversed. I `form a cap with the inside concave suiiiciently when placed upon the closed eye to press lightly upon the center of the ball, which by being worn as the cups above described, will gradually lessen the conveXity and correct the sight.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I -will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I form a` cup for each eye of ivory, wood, glass, metal or any hard substance that can be made smooth. `T`he length live eighths of an inch more or less, and the diameter one inch more or less, to set upon the base ofthe ball of the eye, through this I make a hollow five `eighths of an inch more or less in diameter which forms a tube, the inner side,neXt to the eye is formed out to fit the proper convexity of the eye, leaving the edge thin but smoothly rounded-see letter A in the accompanying drawings. On the outer side of the cups and near the outer end I form a groove, or projections to hold the bindings which fasten them in their places upon the eyes-see letter B. I cut a strip of soft leather, through which I make slits to draw on to the cups into the groove or between the projections, these slits are just distant from each otherfar enough to bring the cups centrally over the eyessee letter C. I prefer this mode of holding them, although they may be held by springs, or` otherwise. y i

For near sight I form caps of the same materials as the cups sufficiently concave on the innerside, so as to rest heaviest upon the center of the ball of the eye (the lids being closed)-see letter iD. These caps may be made one' inch in diameter more or less, and are held in their place by the same means and worn in the same manner of the cups.

restore and preserve them through life. By l the application of the caps in the same manner bythose aiiiicted with nea-r sight the conveXity will gradually lessen and the sight be corrected.

What I claim as my invention and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The cups and caps to produceJ a pressure upon the periphery, in case of old age, or front of the eye in case of near sight, which will increase `or diminish its conveXity as the nature of the case may require.

JONATHAN BALL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH STEPHENS, JONATHAN MASON. 

